Second Annual World Maker Faire Features Speakers, Shakers, and Makers

QUEENS, NY—The ultimate 21st century county fair, World Maker Faire returns to the New York Hall of Science Sept. 17-18 for an unforgettable weekend of science, art, and DIY culture in a festival atmosphere. Touch a dress that talks, have your dreams painted onto your face, "erase" history, make squishy circuits, craft a zombie doll, dance on a bike, enjoy scented cartography (yes: a smell map!), and leave yourself and your family open to hundreds of other things that you've never thought to encounter at this year's World Maker Faire.

In addition to the 500-plus Makers onsite, speakers and special events at the second annual World Maker Faire include:

• Sean Casey and his Tornado Intercept Vehicle: Featured in the film "Tornado Alley," this "armored tripod on wheels" is built to be so durable that even a tornado can't harm it when Casey and his crew drive right into its center, cameras blazing. Casey discusses the love of tornado chasing and truck design that led him to his career.
• Making Makers: Tom Kalil, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, joins MAKE founder Dale Dougherty and NYSCI CEO Margaret Honey and Cognizant CEO and NYSCI board member Francisco D'Souza in a panel discussion on "Making, Education, and Innovation."
• Making the Future: Cognizant, a global business and technology leader, will announce its Making the Future education initiative and its new permanent space at the New York Hall of Science. As a proud Ultimate Maker sponsor, Cognizant is also hosting the Young Maker's Pavilion and will have a children's Making activity taking place in the NYSCI Village.
  "Cognizant is committed to igniting in children the joy of learning and a passion for science and technology. Inspired by the Maker Movement, Making the Future's mission is to invest in programs that will spark creativity and encourage young people to pursue the STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering and math. Cognizant believes that fostering STEM literacy, along with 21st century skills like creativity, innovation, and collaboration, will best prepare our children to be tomorrow's leaders in our global economy," said Cognizant's CEO and President Francisco D'Souza.
• All About Arduino: This inexpensive microcontroller, devised in Italy as a tool for sculptors, crossed over from the art world to the tech space where it immediately took off. Learn from the inventors (Massimo Banzi will be speaking) of the Arduino themselves all the many ways it can be used to make mini-robotics a fun and daily part of your—and your family's life.
• The Ever-Popular Coke Zero & Mentos Fountains: Now in its second year at World Maker Faire, this mysterious combination of pop and candy create geysers of soda that shoot over 20 feet into the air in a spectacular mint-powered version of Las Vegas' Bellagio Fountains.
• Hacking Autism: Phil McKinney, chief technology officer of Hewlett-Packard's Personal Systems Group, discusses new software beneficial to those with autism developed by crowd-sourcing ideas. In June 2011, HP launched the "Hacking Autism" initiative, which seeks new ideas for touch technology applications beneficial to people with autism.
• The Empowerment Plan: Artist Veronika Scott has devised an article of clothing centered on Element S. Self-heated and waterproof, it's a coat by day and a sleeping bag by night. Hear how she involves homeless women in its manufacture, paying them to produce art-forward scientific clothing needed by those on the streets.
• Creativity in 3D: Autodesk professional software is used by award-winning studios and designers around the world to create amazing movies, games, products and buildings—but Autodesk is not just for pros. At the Autodesk booth in the Maker Pavilion, kids of all ages can have hands-on fun trying free creative apps from Autodesk to draw, sculpt, design and make fantastic things.
• The Future of Digital Things: MakerBot Industries' Bre Pettis uses funny anecdotes with serious implications to explore the latest trend in digital design—physical mashups. By listening to this talk, you'll become an expert on this strange and wonderful trend in digital design.
• Behind the Scenes at "Junkyard Wars": Watch a never-before-seen episode and learn how "maker" TV actually works.
• Circus Warehouse: Look for the trapeze artists, jugglers, wire-walkers and others performing their serious physical magic all over World Maker Faire.

Attendees at last year's inaugural Faire were treated to an experience that the New York Times described as a "as carnival sideshow meets science fair, with robots, engineers, rockets, computer geekery and body paint." This year's Faire features over 500 makers as well as a crafts pavilion, a village devoted to 3D printing, and a special emphasis on innovations in health care. Slated for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 17-18, this exciting weekend of fun centers on creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness in all forms.

World Maker Faire 2011 is presented by RadioShack and includes the following sponsors: Cognizant, GE, Microsoft, Atmel, Digi-Key, HP, AutoDesk, ShopBot Tools, Epilog Laser, Sparkfun Electronics, TechShop, Clif Kid and Etsy.

Calendar Editors
Ticket prices include admission to both World Maker Faire and NYSCI. On-site tickets are $28 for adults (18-61), $12 for youth (2-17), $22 for seniors (62+), and $18 for students with a valid ID. Two-day passes are also available. Tickets are available at www.makerfaire.com and on-site. See the Maker Faire website for more details www.makerfaire.com. Hi-res photos available upon request: press@makerfaire.com.

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About Maker Faire
Maker Faire's mission is to inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers of all ages and backgrounds through the public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists, science clubs, students, authors and commercial exhibitors. The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, CA and just celebrated its sixth annual Bay Area event with some 100,000 people in attendance. As Maker Faire continues to grow in popularity and relevance, it expanded to Detroit and New York City in 2010. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE Magazine, makezine.com, craftzine.com and O'Reilly Media, the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators.

About the New York Hall of Science
NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World's Fair as a showcase for the science of tomorrow. NYSCI is New York's center for hands-on fun and learning with more than 450 exhibits, science demonstrations, and programs for families, students and teachers. NYSCI conveys the excitement and understanding of science and technology by galvanizing curiosity and offering creative, participatory ways to learn.

About O'Reilly

O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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